Featured Domains

Donuts to offer $10,000 brand protection service

Top level domain name company Donuts will offer a new DPML Plus service for the last three months of this year.

The service, which has a suggested retail price of $9,999, is an enhancement to the company’s existing Domains Protected Marks List service.

The standard DPML allows brand owners to block domain names across all of Donuts’ domain names (currently 197) with one fee. The marks must be registered with the Trademark Clearinghouse, and the blocked second level domain names have to include the mark in full. Domain name registrar Encirca charges $2,895 for a 5 year DPML.

DPML Plus will allow customers to block both the mark and three additional second level domains that either include the mark or common typos of it. These blocks will last for ten years.

Another key difference between the two services is the ability to override. With standard DPML, another trademark holder with a mark in the Trademark Clearinghouse can unlock a matching blocked domain name for its own use. DPML Plus blocks are not subject to overrides. Also, DPML Plus customers can activate second level domains that match their own blocked terms for no additional fee beyond registration costs.

DPML Plus is considered a promotion, so availability beyond the end of the year will likely depend on how successful it is.

Donuts also announced plans to increase the cost of its standard DPML product. Donuts would not disclose updated pricing.

Comments

The numbers come to ~$5 per domain name per year, which is a much cheaper way than registering all those strings and managing them. There is certainly a market for that. Wondering if Donuts is obliged to pay ICANN fees and can we count is as registration?